Dazed Darwin

There's more to see at the zoo than bored monkeys and napping tigers. The shot above is part of a hilarious informational sign in front of the aviary at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, TX.

I'm not quite sure what the artist was trying to depict here, but Darwin sure looks confused by those disembodied birds.

Music: Still listening to that new M.I.A. album

Have you heard the story? British-born Sri Lankan hip-hopper M.I.A. was denied a visa to come to the U.S. for years because of her politically subversive lyrics and ties to guerrilla fighters in her father's homeland.

So, she skipped the studio sessions with American producers - and reportedly Gwen Stefani - and recorded her new album "Kala" in third-world countries and, the AP reports, with a decidedly third-world political perspective and sound.

That back story sure beats Vanilla Ice's "I'm from the streets, yo!" b.s. from back in the day, but does it herald a good album?

Sort of. "Kala" is a mixed bag, and it's taking me a while to get into it. The album's sounds and subjects are more experimental than on M.I.A.'s last release "Arular." There's less hip-hop, more disco and world beats and, unfortunately, more filler on this release. Still, tracks like "XR2" and "Paper Planes" are worth repeat listens. "Boyz" almost recaptures the quirky, beckoning beats and spirit of "Galang" and "Bucky Done Gun" from "Arular," but it's not quite there.

I'm looking forward to decoding the lyrics a little more, since most of the songs seem inspired by political conflicts and the toll they take on people and their lands.

These new songs are different, but they're still good. She'll nail it on the next one. For now, dig on this clip for "Jimmy," one of my favs from "Kala."



Links:

MIAUK.com

M.I.A. at MySpace

AP story on M.I.A.

Photo from The Associated Press

Film: 'Darjeeling Limited' trailer

So, there's a "Darjeeling Limited" trailer floating around the web. Scroll down to view a YouTubey version.

The new Wes Anderson film stars Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson (no Luke?) as siblings touring India. Anderson wrote the script with Schwartzman and first-time collaborator Roman Coppola, who I haven't heard much about since "CQ' came out back in 2001. Natalie Portman, Anjelica Houston and Bill Murray co-star.

"Darjeeling" looks like it combines the odd family dynamics of "The Royal Tenenbaums" and the divisive insanity of "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou." So, yeah, it looks good, and I can't wait to see it - if it comes to my local Cinemark. (Damn you Brownsville, you one-horse town).

The film opens Sept. 29 in some markets.



Links:

High res trailer

Official movie site

Photo from Fox Searchlight

Film: Hey 'Superbad' fans

So, "Superbad" is the number one film in the country and tons of people still don't know about "Clark and Michael"? It's cool. I just watched my first episode today, although I've been meaning to check it out for a few months now.

"Clark and Michael" is a great little Internet TV series starring and written by "Superbad" star Michael Cera and pal Clark Duke, who had a cameo in "Superbad." The ten-episode series is about little more than the pair trying to sell a TV pilot about their lives to the networks, but it's damn funny and each ep is only about ten minutes long.

The few eps of "C&M" I watched made me laugh just as much as "Superbad" did - and McLovin' isn't even in the thing. The series does feature cames by cool kids like Patton Oswalt, Andy Richter, David Cross, Tony Hale from "Arrested Development" plus the great line "They brushed our teeth with their dicks."

It's funny. Watch it.

Links:

ClarkandMichael.com

Clark Duke's YouTube Channel

Photo from ClarkandMichael.com

TV: 'Keep flirting to a minimun'

If you owned a TV news station, would you hire an anchorwoman whom you had to remind to "keep flirting to a minimum" when dealing with news sources? I wouldn't, but KYTX Channel 19 president - and Rick Perry clone - Phil Hurley did.

Hurley hired former bikini model and WWE "diva" Lauren Jones (that's her mug up there) as an anchor to boost ratings for his local newscast in Tyler, TX. Jones has no journalism experience and is probably best known by teenage boys who watched her on WWE hoping to catch a nipple slip. It's all documented on FOX's new "comedic reality" show "Anchorwoman," which premiered tonight.

I'd read nothing about "Anchorwoman" before catching the first two eps on FOX, but I knew what I was getting after the first minute or so. It's another fish-out-of-water tale with nothing new to say and only a hint of humor, mostly at the expense of the uber-bubbly Jones who, like Homer Simpson, seems at times unable to have an inner dialogue.

Sure, at least it's a "documentary-style" reality show instead of the "seven people picked to live on a pirate ship" variety, but I don't see it holding anyone's interest after a few eps. I mean, what do viewers really have to look forward to but watching a clueless, monster-boobed party girl alienating her serious co-workers and screwing up the news?

The character I find most interesting on the series isn't Jones, but station owner Hurley. It's pretty fascinating watching such a stiff and unimaginative suit so obsessed with the bottom line and so unconcerned about his staff that he's willing to damage their reputations, sink their morale, and kill his station's credibility with one dumb decision.

Still, I'm not sure how much credibility this station or its employess had in the first place. I might be wrong, but it looks like they hired a dog (yes, the "bow wow wow" kind) to do the weather.

"Anchorwoman" airs Wednesdays on FOX.

Links:

Anchorwoman at FOX.com

Lauren Jones' last job

KYTX 19 (Lauren's current job)

Photo from FOX.

TV: Logan Echolls is CBS's new vampire

Wassup "Veronica Mars" fans? Still waiting for season three to hit the stores (you think we'll really get to see that trailer for the proposed season 4)? Well, while you wait, take comfort in the fact that a lot of "VM" stars have already moved on to paying gigs. The latest news is that Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls) will star in the upcoming CBS drama "Moonlight," about a vampire detective named Mick -- not Angel, or Nick Knight -- seeking redemption in Los Angeles.

Dohring doesn't play the lead. He plays a confidante to Mick (Alex O’Loughlin) named Josef, an ages-old vamp who, much like Logan, is rich and likes to misbehave. According to Film.com, Dhoring's role was originally played by 60-year-old actor Rade Serbedzija, but the producers decided to recast the role to make it less ... boring.



Sure, this series looks like a watered-down, big three version of "Angel," but I'm going to give it a chance now that Dohring's on board (and the fact that I was looking for a legit reason to watch it anyway). It can't be nearly as bad as, say, "The Dresden Files," right? CBS plans to air the thing on Fridays this fall. Good luck Dohring.

Film: '1408' quick review

In "1408," John Cusack plays a depressed writer trapped inside an "evil fucking room" that's clearly bent on driving him nuts and then driving him dead. Once shut in the room, Cusack's Mike Enslin endures tons of disturbing tricks straight outta Stephen King's big bag of horror randomness. He's left witless by flapper-era spooks, attacked by a mask-wearing slasher and even receives a visit from his dead daughter. Most of what happens in "1408" is pretty creepy (especially the periodic blasting of The Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun"), but it's not the source material or the script, based on a short story by King, that makes "1408" one of the best King adaptations since 1980's "The Shining." The credit should go to Cusack and director Mikael Håfström.

Cusack fully commits to his role, somehow adding weight to Enslin's reheated back story and the ensuing tale of redemption. He makes you feel his emotional, psychological and physical pangs -- whether you want to or not. Håfström's film is refreshingly gore free, but it's still scary as hell. The Swedish filmmaker's suspense-crafting skills cannot be overstated here. The expository scenes leading up to the frights progress with a haunted air, thanks in part to a great supporting turn by Samuel L. Jackson, but things get really tense once Cusack checks into the suite of horrors. Those who don't suffer from anxiety or vertigo will get a chilling taste of both watching Cusack sneak across a ledge in an ill-fated attempt to escape the room. Things get so nerve-wracking that some might want to look away from the screen (like I did) for a few seconds in the third act.

If gripping suspense films are your thing, then "1408" is a must-see. Be warned though. Like most horror/suspense mash-ups, the ending here is more than mildly ambiguous. What might seem like a Hollywood ending to some might seem bleak to others. The ambiguity doesn't spoil what came before though, and it's sure to spark tons of theories from chatty film buffs.

TV: Battlestar Galactica music video

dr. baltar, bsg

Like all things in nature, Battlestar Galactica has earned its own silly but affectionate parody song/video. I don' t know who made it, and I don't think I want to know, but it's up for streaming here at SciFi.com.

The clip is called "A New Crew in Town" and it points out the differences between the old school Galactica and the new version and features clips from both. It's mildly entertaining, if only for lines like "Sorry Dirk Benedict/Don't want you to lose face/But I'd rather share my space with Kara Thrace."

Music: Download Oasis' 1998 unplugged show ... and don't look back in anger

oasis

Patch over at In Search of Arcadia has done Britpop fans a wonderful favor. He's posted MP3 links to every track from Oasis' 1998 MTV Unplugged set.

There are two great things about these tracks. The bulk of them are off What's the Story Morning Glory, my favorite Oasis album, and Noel Gallagher sings lead on all of them instead of lead singer Liam, who reportedly had laryngitis or some shit.

The tracks sound even better than I remember them. Noel's voice sounds great and the band is backed by some beautiful strings and horns.

Grab the track below and click here to download the entire set.

MP3:
Oasis - 'Cast No Shadow' (Unplugged)

Film: Three recent beautiful failures

the science of sleep

Have you ever watched a movie and thought, "Wow, that was a mess, but I loved it"? I have, and I have a name for movies that make me feel that way. I call 'em "beautiful failures."

Beautiful failures are usually too long, too weird, too sloppy or just plain stupid, but they're always strangely compelling and, well, beautiful. They're the movies you think you hate but you can't stop thinking about. You come back to them over and over and you can't figure out why. They can be very complex, pretentious or even too simple or mass appealing. Other film buffs might tell you different, but there's really no formula to creating a beautiful failure.

Some of my favorite beautiful failures are Steven Soderbergh's Solaris, Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut and David Cronenberg's awkward 1996 thriller Crash. I love these films for different reasons, but I recognize that they're all a little ... dreadful.

Here are a few titles I've recently added to my list of beautiful failures. Please, share some of your favorite "bf's" in the comments.

The Science of Sleep

The problems start with the packaging and advertising for director Michel Gondry's follow-up to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The trailer and DVD box try to sell the film as a quirky romantic comedy full of whimsical dream sequences and cute one-liners. What you really get is a seemingly chaotic but densely structured character study of an unlikable, mentally ill manchild (Gael Garcia Bernal).

There's a lot of good here, though. Bernal's character has trouble disassociating fantasy from reality, and Gondry illustrates this with some charming and singular visual tricks. Also, the ending is somewhat of a stunner that brilliantly unites all the disparate ideas and elements that came before. Unfortunately, most viewers will be confused and sick of all the seeming randomness before the third act. Bernal and the rest of the cast are great, but most of the characters are unappealing or hard to relate to. Still, I'll go back to this movie again for its brave storytelling, strange comedic bits and great visuals.
View the trailer

The Fountain

Where to start? The Fountain is the perfect beautiful failure. It's at times fiercely incoherent, silly and pretentious, but it's also visually impressive and features a very strong lead performance by Hugh Jackman.

All of the "big ideas" director Daron Aronofsky (Pi, Requim for a Dream) attempts to convey here can be gleaned from the preface of one of those Don't Sweat the Small Stuff books, but he delivers his dime store philosophy in an extravagant package that constantly switches from compelling to laughable (picture a bald Jackman reaching nirvana while sitting in a lotus position). Add to that a bunch of muddled biblical references, plot strands that go nowhere and performances that range from sleepy (Rachel Weisz) to irrelevant (Ellen Burstyn) and you have a "bf" that, somehow, demands repeat viewing.
View the trailer

Ghost Rider

This campy comic book adaptation is about a guy with a flaming skull for a head, but that's the least ridiculous thing about it. After delivering two joyless duds based on Marvel books (Daredevil and Elektra) writer-director Mark Steven Johnson amps Ghost Rider's absurdity factor up to 11. Unfortunately, that's way too high -- even for a comic book movie.

The film is a poorly written, painfully simplistic and predictable popcorn flick, but its worst attributes are what will keep me coming back to it. You have to admire a film that so economically delivers the cheap thrills and seems willing to suck ass to do so. The cast members do their best to make sure that Ghost Rider makes you smirk for 90 minutes and slips out of your system faster than a Diet Coke. It's a sick and fascinating thing to watch Nicholas Cage violently hammer tons of trite quirks and ticks into his character (He eats M&Ms from a champagne flute! He listens to The Carpenters! He speaks with an undefinable accent!). Peter Fonda and Sam Elliot ham it up, but the real kick here is Wes Bentley as the film's impossibly witless and fruity villain, Blackheart.
View the trailer, I dare you

Mad props from BlogCritics

My last Veronica Mars review was selected as an Editor's Pick over at BlogCritics Magazine. Also, another VM review was syndicated to national newspaper Web sites. Here's what BC has to say:

"What a great show! Just every episode, I love every episode. I think Mike Moody loves it too, otherwise how could he cover it all so well? And, who doesn't love Veronica? I think we all love Veronica. Veronica who? Veronica Mars!"
-BlogCritics Magazine

We done good

I couldn't believe it. Close to 2,000 hits yesterday and today. Wow. This little blog got close to 4,000 hits in two days.

This is really motivating. Most of the hits came courtesy of Whedonesque. It seems the editors of the A-list Joss Whedon blog really dug the "Catching up with the Buffy cast" post I wrote last week. It looks like I'll have to write that promised part 2 pretty soon.

So yes, this does mean I'm not abandoning Gold Teeth. I probably won't have the time to update it daily, but for now you can still look forward to fresh content every week. I've yet to decide what to do with this blog permanently though, but I'll figure it out.

Thanks for reading, and expect more Whedonverse posts plus media reviews, news, music and more .

Gold Teeth closes mouth

Gold Teeth will be pretty quiet in the coming months. Actually, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this blog from now on.

I got a new job and it's going to demand a lot of my time for a while. The good news is that part of the new job will be blogging about TV and pop culture, so anyone will be able to read Gold Teeth-esque content at the new Web site we're building for Valley Freedom.

Stay tuned for more. Thanks ... MM.

Film: Aykroyd says Ghostbusters III will be CGI

Dan Aykroyd recently told country music station CISN that he is working on a second sequel to the 1984 hit Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters III: Hellbent will be a CGI film instead of live action, Aykroyd said. The plot involves the Ghostbusters traveling to hell (shades of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey?). Aykroyd wrote the script.

Bill Murray has agreed to voice a character, probably reprising his role as wisecracking Peter Venkman from the first two films, and Harold Ramis is already attached.

There have been rumors of a third Ghostbusters film for years. The idea of a "young Ghostbusters" film was circulated in the 90s with names like Will Smith and Ben Stiller tossed around. Hellbent sounds more like an all-star, big budget version of The Real Ghostbusters animated series from the 1980s.

Aykrod and Ramis wrote and starred in the first two films. There's no word yet on a release date or whether this project will hit theaters or go straight to DVD. Listen to the Aykroyd interview here.

TV: Veronica Mars (3.11) - 'Poughkeepsie, Tramps & Thieves'

vm 3-11

(Air date: 1/30/07)
The theme of this week’s episode was trust -- when to give it and who to give it to. Apparently, according to Veronica Mars, you can kinda trust hookers looking to evade their pimps. Unfortunately, you can’t trust a semi-reformed bad boy like Logan Echolls.

The teaser and first act of this ep were hilarious and very, very intriguing. There was no sign of Piz, Mac or Wallace, but we did get a whole lot of face time with Max (a.k.a. the Louis Skolnick-looking dude who sells phony term papers on campus). I couldn’t keep up with how many clever Battlestar Galactica references were dropped in the opening scene alone (I lost count at 400 billion). If more Max means more Galactica references, then I say give the guy some credit sequence billing.

Besides giving Veronica a reason to say "frak," Max provided her with the mystery of the week: Track down the hot hooker hired by my friends to seduce me.

I was right there with Veronica in doubting the sudden spark between Max and Chelsea/Wendy/ Fiona (she’s the hooker with a thousand names, and yes, she has a heart of gold). Veronica’s a little more jaded than most -- coming of age while tailing unfaithful spouses for money will do that to you -- but it wasn’t a stretch to think that, maybe, this hooker was playing our Starbuck-loving friend for a fool. He’s desperate and he’s got wads of cash. He’s the perfect mark for a cute hooker-con woman.

But this is Veronica Mars. Things are much more complicated than that. Unfortunately, as the ep went on and the plot continued to coil, things came to a drowsy crawl before the last act hit. It wasn’t hard to keep up with the twists, but after I while I just stopped caring. I’m guessing that most viewers felt the same.

The Galactica references were very funny, and brave, and the plot wasn’t exactly humdrum, but I was a little disturbed by this ep. With the news that VM will ditch season-long arcs in an effort to gain new viewers, one thought kept running through my brain: Name-dropping another low-rated cult TV series and throwing the viewer a million curveballs in one ep probably won’t help raise the ratings. It doesn’t make sense that the powers that be behind VM would want to sacrifice the arcs, which the fans love and have proven to up ratings, but keep all the obscure references and super-dense plots, which undoubtedly alienate new viewers.

Speaking of arcs, we got a great interrogation scene with Keith. Decked out in too-tight fake police duds, he hammered the sanctimonious Lilith House chicks about the night Dean O’Dell died. Yeah, they egged his van and his office, but head Lilith Nish says she egged the Dean’s Volvo alone. Too bad for her then that O’Dell wasn’t driving the Volvo the night he died. Also, Nish’s mouth almost hit the floor when she learned that Keith was investigating O'Dell's death as a murder. I guess that makes her suspect number three, right behind Prof. Landry and Cheaty O’Dell.

I liked the quiet moments between Veronica and Logan, especially the intimate Q&A session at the end (scored by Leonard Cohen). Veronica was pleased and surprised to find out that Logan had never slept with a hooker. He smartly copped to fooling around with that surfer skank in the last ep, but Veronica was cool with it. However, she wasn't cool with Madison (where'd she come from anyway) saying she had a fling with Logan in Aspen. My guess? It might have happened, but Madison is a liar and she likes to push Veronica's buttons. It wouldn't be the first time she tried to screw with Veronica.

Random thought: Why is it that everyone Logan hangs out with or screws, save Veronica, is a shallow jerk (Dick, Mercer, Chip, surfer skank and now Madison)? Logan's come a long way. Shouldn't his friends reflect that journey?

The CW is now streaming this ep online. Also, watch a preview of next Tuesday's ep and consider the question: Is Veronica preggers?

Memorable quote: (Besides all the great Galactica references)
Veronica: (Examining the escort search engine) It's like a Zagat guide for hookers!

Friday Video: Le Tigre - 'Deceptacon'

Here's the Devo-esque clip from Le Tigre's Feminist Sweepstakes. Try this dance at home -- I dare you.

TV: Catching up with the Buffy cast (Part 1)

buffy cast

A few former cast members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will appear at February's New York ComiCon, Variety reported earlier this week. The news got me wondering about what some of my favorite Buffyverse alums are up to these days.

Sure, most of us know about Alyson Hannigan's blossoming TV career and that Sarah Michelle Gellar has mostly resigned herself to starring in artless horror flicks, but did you know that Nick Brendan (Xander) does voice work for Disney Channel? Have you seen Tom Lenk's (Andrew) insane short film series about an eccentric dancer?

Read on to find out about how these former Buffy actors are keeping busy. I'll post more info about other Buffyverse alum in the coming weeks. And remember; let's try to support some of their projects. It's the least we can do for these talented performers.

Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris)
Nick Brendon had a tough time in TV land after Buffy went off the air in 2003. He starred in a sitcom pilot that never became a series, The Pool at Maddy Breakers, and Fox quickly cancelled Kitchen Confidential, the critically acclaimed but low-rated single-camera series in which Brendon co-starred with Bradley Cooper from Alias.
In between those projects Brendon starred as Roswell's Majandra Delfino's gay cousin in the surprisingly decent ABC Family flick Celeste in the City.
In 2004, he voluntarily entered rehab to fight his addiction to alcohol.
He served as honorary chairperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America during Stuttering Awareness Week from 2000-2003. According to his official Web site, Brendon's fans have raised more than $5,000 for the SFA.
In 2006, Brendan starred in LA's Blank Theater Co. production of Lobster Alice. He co-starred with Charisma Carpenter in another ABC Family flick, Relative Chaos, in 2006 and does voice work on the Disney Channel animated series American Dragon: Jake Long.
Catch Brendon's next project Fire Serpent, a SciFi Channel original film, on Feb. 24.


Emma Caulfield (Anya)
Before arriving on Buffy, Emma Caulfield had already guest-starred on a number of TV series, most memorably on Beverly Hills 90210. Since Buffy's end, she's mostly gone back to taking TV guest spots (Monk, Robot Chicken).
In 2004, Caulfield parodied herself in the award-winning indie mockumentary Bandwagon. In the film, Caulfield portrays herself as a self-absorbed starlet on a downward spiral. Bandwagon won the Maverick Award at the 2004 Newport Beach Film Festival. The film also features cameos by Buffy alum Tom Lenk, Buffy director David Fury and Joss Whedon. Read an interview with her about the film here.
Catch Emma in A Valentine Carol, Feb. 12 on Lifetime.


Tom Lenk (Andrew Wells)
Yep, that's Tom Lenk in that Wendy's commercial. He's also popped up recently on a number of TV shows, including How I Met Your Mother, Six Feet Under and House M.D.
In 2004, Lenk reprised his recurring role as Buffy's Andrew Wells for two hilarious episodes of Angel on theWB. He had a cameo as "Frodo" in Alyson Haniggan's 2006 film Date Movie and will appear in two of this year's major Hollywood releases, 23 with Jim Carey and Michael Bay's Transformers. According to IMDB, he plays a Pentagon analyst in Transformers. (That should be interesting.)
Tom will also appear in the upcoming indie film Equal Opportunity and the horror sequel Boogeyman 2.
Tom is also a well-received stage performer and comedian. He's part of the L.A.-based Strangely Attractive sketch comedy troupe. He started the bizarro comic stage production Unitarded in LA with acting partner Patty Wortham. Tom has also appeared in and directed several short films with other Strangely Attractive members. He has a few of these shorts posted on his MySpace page. The oddest ones star Tom as Trudy, a nerdy, 8-year-old female tap dancer. Check out the clip below.



Next week: Catch up with Amber Benson (Tara), Danny Strong (Andrew) and Tony Head (Giles).

News: Aqua Teen terror plot?

You haven't lived until you've heard Charlie Gibson say "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." Seriously.

Why was Gibson talking about the Cartoon Network series on ABC News? Apparently an Aqua Teen marketing stunt threw Boston into a scare today.

About nine electronic devices planted at bridges and other Boston spots by the cable network to promote the show were mistaken for bombs, or other explosive devices. Highways and bridges were closed and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless. They were just boxes with magnetic blinking lights that formed the shape of an Aqua Teen character.

Cartoon Network: No. 1 in bonehead guerrila marketing ideas, G!

Art: Brownsville's Galeria 409 on TV news

oscar alvarez by liza longoria

The Rio Grande Valley's ABC affiliate News Channel 5 recently featured Brownsville's Galeria 409 in anchor/reporter Rick Diaz's weekly "Con Mi Gente" segment.

Diaz interviewed gallery owner Mark Clark about his 155-year-old building in downtown Brownsville. Diaz also spoke to artists Cande Aguilar and Oscar Alvarez. Both artists are now displaying their new work at the gallery.

Watch the Channel 5 segment here, and visit the gallery at 409 E. 13th St. It'll be worth it.

Music: Leonard Cohen on Veronica Mars

Looking for that Leonard Cohen (pictured) song from Tuesday's episode of Veronica Mars? Look no further.

It's called "A Thousand Kisses Deep" and you can find it on The Essential Leonard Cohen, a 2002 best-of release.

Below is a streaming MP3 link to the song. You can play it in your browser, but I reccomend picking up the album or heading over to iTunes if you really want to dig on this song all day. If anyone has a downloadable link, please let me know. Here's a taste:

Leonard Cohen - 'A Thousand Kisses Deep'

I'll try to post more music from VM in the coming weeks. A review of the latest episode should be up here soon.

TV: Battlestar Galactica (3.13) - 'Taking a Break From All Your Worries'

bsg 3.13

(Air date: 1/28/07)
Battlestar Galactica returned to form on Sunday with one of the best, rawest and most compelling episodes of the season.

Episode writer Michael Taylor -- who penned the great "In the Pale Moonlight" ep of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- crafted a tense, edgy story worthy of the series that some say has faltered in its third season. Edward James Olmos' urgent direction only drew me in further as Baltar and Apollo were tortured in very different ways.

The dark-sounding nursery rhyme that opened the first scene was a nice choice. "This ep is something different, and it's not for everybody," the rhyme seemed to whisper. This episode was different, fiercely different, than anything else on prime time TV. It reminded me of why I love this series. At its best, Galactica goes for the mind and the gut, ditching most superficial notions of sci-fi to focus on conflict and character. This time aboard the Galactica, we focused on Dr. Baltar, one of the series' richest and most captivating characters.

It was a smart move to follow up all the Final Five and Eye of Jupiter junk with an economic ep mostly about Balter. It's always fun getting in side Baltar's head, whether we're given privy to his lurid fantasies-turned-nightmares about a slew of Sixes, or diving into even darker territory. It's been obvious for months now that Baltar wanted to be a Cylon so that he could absolve himself of his guilt. It turned out he's probably not a Cylon, but his conscious got a nice rubdown anyway thanks to Roslin and Adama's brutal, mind-altering interrogation method.

Watching Baltar spill his secrets and confront his demons made for great TV. Lost in a drug-induced black sea, he claimed his innocence, questioned the loyalty and existence of Imaginary Six and came up feeling his soul was absolved.

Did Baltar betray humanity? The answer remains ambiguous, and we were given the chance to consider both perspectives. From Baltar's point of view, As Adama pointed out, he's the victim. He was forced to aid the Cylon occupation of New Caprica and was deceived into abetting the destruction of his home world. He never intended to hurt anyone and, in his mind, he did not conspire with the Cylons. From Roslin and Adama's points of view, Baltar is a traitor. He contributed to the attempted genocide and lacked the strength, character and humanity to stand up to the Cylons, allowing many humans to be murdered on New Caprica. He spent months on a Cylon base ship possibly helping the Cylons find Earth. Also, they really really hate the guy and want to see him suffer. At least Roslin did, but she eventually felt sympathy for the man. Adama stayed militaristic throughout. His objective was only to retrieve information that would help the fleet.

It was intense watching an incensed Roslin drag Baltar out of his cell and to the Caprica memorial. The treatment of Baltar was ugly and extreme in this ep, but it was also fascinating to watch. I was glad to see the Starbuck-Apollo arc take a backseat, since the Baltar arc is what's really driving the series right now, but both stories complimented each other well.

Apollo is now in a world of pain. He's in love with Starbuck, but he loves and respects Dee. His marriage is crumbling and he's resigned to drinking with Tyrol and spinning his wedding ring on the wet bar. Sure, having to choose between Katee Sackhoff and Kandyse McClure might not sound like a tragic situation, but Jamie Bamber really sold Apollo's torture and self-pity. I felt sorry for the dude, especially in that tail-end scene where he's trying to patch things up with Dee.

And what about Starbuck? Why did Sam bring up points that will eventually lead to the big question: Is Starbuck a Cylon? I'm not sure about that, but I will agree with Starbuck in that she's a "two-timing bitch of a wife."

Is Gaeta a Cylon? It makes sense. In another searing scene, Gaeta attempted to kill our man Baltar after Baltar whispered something in his ear. He only succeeded in stabbing Baltar in the neck (thank the gods), but ot looks like he's still out for blood. Baltar's definitely on to something here, especially if he's accusing Gaeta of being a bigger traitor than he is. Also, it was interesting to find out that Baltar allowed Gaeta to feed information to the resistance on New Caprica.

In the end Baltar is hauled off to sick bay, again, and Roslin visits Caprica Six in an extended bonus scene that SciFi.com is streaming in its entirety here. It seems Six will only talk if Baltar is given a trial. Roslin seems pleased with that response, since she was already planning to give him a trial anyway.

With Baltar back on the Galactica and major suspicion cast on major characters, Galactica is showing signs of a late season rally.

Memorable quote:
Starbuck: Kara Thrace and her special destiny? That sounds like a bad cover band.

TV: Veronica Mars (3.10) - 'Show Me the Monkey'

vm 3-10

Air date: (1/23/06)
Uh-oh. It looks like someone might have nabbed Veronica's "perfect murder" report and followed it step-by-step to get away with killing Dean O'Dell, who's death was officially ruled a suicide. Sounds like we got us a mystery arc for the rest of this season (I only wish it hadn't cost us Ed Begley Jr., he was great in this series).

So, who's the murderer? After two and a half seasons of series creator Rob Thomas proving he's way smarter than I am, I've learned to stop guessing so early on. NeptuneSite has a list of possible suspects, if you're into that sort of thing.

Instead of depositing my murder theories here, I'd rather dive into what this episode was really about: conviction (personal and political), relationships, and a monkey.

We catch up with Veronica six weeks after O'Dell's death. Veronica and Logan are still split, and she's hired by a couple of campus lab techs to find their stolen lab monkey.

Many primate jokes abound, including a "the case of the stolen monkey" jab courtesy of Piz, but only Veronica Mars can start an ep with such a basic mystery plot like "find the stolen monkey" and end up being one of the most engaging, fun and complex things to watch on TV.

Veronica goes undercover at the hilariously named PHAT (People for Humane Animal Treatment) group on campus to find the monkey nabbers. We get the usual role-playing and sneaky tactics she's used to great effect in the past, but it was obvious and a little disappointing to find that the guy behind the mystery turned out to be one of the techs who reported it. Also, there was a little too much "girlyness" going on in this ep for my comfort level -- and that's coming from a guy who's been watching Gilmore Girls for years. Plus, we had to sit through a few minutes of sad music scored animals right proselytizing (Blech), but those were small prices to pay for a damn fine hour of television that delivered a love interest for Mac, a LoVe reunion and the definition of "Manila."

The LoVe reunion that capped this ep was nice, but I really enjoyed Veronica's earlier scenes with Piz. They have a good dynamic, and I really related to their talk about not dating just to date. It's better to stick with what you like, especially when you know what you like, Piz said. True. Too bad for him then, since that means Veronica must go running back to Logan. Piz is cool, but there's tons more drama and conflict with Logan. I still felt for Piz in that last scene, though (Been there dude). But remember, Veronica's interest was peaked when Parker mentioned that he might have a girlfriend "back home," so the door was left a little open there.

And speaking of Logan, why does he hang around with every scuzzy guy on the planet? He goes surfing with Dick and who do they meet at the beach but none other than Chip Diller, the biggest panty waste on campus. So far, Logan's rolled with a fun loving but brain dead frat boy (Dick), a convicted rapist (Mercer), and now an accused rapist and misogynist (Chip). Come on Logan, I think it's time to find some new friends. Why don't they pair Logan up with Wallace? I've always dug watching them together. At least then Wallace might show up in a few more eps this season.

Besides the last act, episode highlights included the Ted Nugent digs, Veronica's mock rock out to Barenaked Ladies, the Canada room at the "around the world" party and, of course, Keith's scene with Landry at the bar.

What did Keith's "scotch" comment to O'Dell's widow mean? I'm sure he's talking about more than O'Dell's untouched bottle. Like I wrote before, I'm not guessing yet, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Catch a video preview of the next ep here. Also, the CW is now streaming episodes of Veronica Mars online here.

Memorable quote:
Mac: OK. I get cruelty free, but I'm an animal too. The no bathing thing and the clove cigarettes is cruelty to me.

Gilmore Girls note:
I've decided to stop writing Gilmore Girls episode reviews after watching last Tuesday's ep. I probably won't even follow the show like I used to; it's just become so charmless over the past year. I might start blogging about it again if it gets any better, but I doubt it will.

Update:
This review was picked up for national newspaper Web site syndication!

TV: Heroes (1.12) - 'Godsend'

hiro

(Air date: 1/22/07)
There’s been tons of Heroes news since the series returned with a new episode on Monday.

TV Guide -- who will publish issues with four collectible covers featuring Heroes cast members next Monday -- reports that one of the series’ regular characters is heading for the grave. Also, Eric Roberts will join the cast in an upcoming sweeps episode and George Takei (Star Trek’s Sulu) is slated to guest-star as Hiro’s father. The series introduced another hero online, and NBC.com launched the Heroes 360 experience (more on that after the review).

Heroes did well in the ratings battle against 24 on Monday and has been getting more attention from the press than ever before. It seems America has really fallen for one of our favorite new series. Is all this praise and attention deserved?

Well, yeah dude.

Heroes returned with one of its strongest, most entertaining episodes to date with “Godsend.” We picked up two weeks after the last episode with Hiro trying to steal a sword, Niki frightening jail guards, a comatose Peter having scary prophetic dreams, and a doped up Sylar stuck in a roach-ridden cell.

Continue reading here.

Friday Video: Beck - 'Cellphone's Dead'

Dig on the Michel Gondry-directed clip for "Cellphone's Dead" from The Information.

Morning Dose: Deluxe Beck; No Holmes in Dark Knight; Heroes death; Luke Cage movie; more

beck

- Intercope is giving Beck's The Information the super massive deluxe treatment. Due Feb. 27, the three-disc release will include the original album plus three bonus tracks, remixes by Bumblebeez, David Andrew Sitek (of TV on the Radio) and others, and a DVD featuring a music video for every track, including Michel Gondry's clip for "Cell Phone's Dead."

- Giving more evidence to the Katie Holmes is brainwashed theory, the actress is skipping out on the Batman Begins sequel to star in something called Mad Money with Queen Latifah.

- EMI has merged the Capitol and Virgin record labels to form The Capitol Music Group.

- Which comic book-based films are nominated for Oscars? (Not X-Men 3).

- Speaking of comic books, fans can nominate their favorite comics and comic book creators for Eagle Awards, the comics industry's longest established awards voted on by fans. One question: Why is Vincent Gallo up for best comic villain?

-Tyrese and John Singleton talk about the upcoming Luke Cage movie.

- A major character is supposed to die on Heroes this season. God, please let it be Niki.

- Some idiots are circulating this petition to arrest Dakota Fanning's parents because of this movie.

-Will Britney Spears play a "raunchy bunch of sex mad aliens" on Dr. Who?

- Finally, somebody buy me this T-shirt. (Thanks Wil Wheaton!)

TV: Battlestar Galactica updates

In a recent interview with Backstage.com, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell (pictured) chatted about their relationship on the set of Battlestar Galactica and about how rewarding the series has been for them as actors.

Olmos said the pilot script for the series reminded him of Blade Runner, the 1982 Ridley Scott film in which he appears alongside Harrison Ford. Olmos says he also liked the post-9/11 themes inherent in the script.
Read more here.

Music: 90s bands making comebacks

smashing pumpkins

"What's the deal with all these 90s bands getting back together?" my friend Jaime asked me a few weeks ago.

"I dunno. I guess they like money," I responded.

I'm really not that cynical, but it's hard to imagine why so many 90s alt. rock bands -- including Sebadoh, Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins -- are choosing to reunite now, all at the same time. Ever Since the Pixies came back, it seems like every 90s buzzworthy band wants to give it another go.

Does anyone think these bands will, once again, have a major impact on the masses? I know popular music is in a state of crisis (may I point you here to prove my point?), but do the Gin Blossoms really think they can save radio?

Well, at least we might get a few good tunes out of this trend. The new Lemonheads album was a nice surprise.

Let's separate fact from rumor concerning some of the recent purported 90s band reunions. Here's a list of some of the major bands that broke up but might be looking to make a comeback, listed in alphabetical order:

Gin Blossoms
Tempe, Arizona's Gin Blossoms seemed destined for greatness after the release of the debut EP Up & Crumbling and the commercial and artistic success of 1992's New Miserable Experience (the one with "Hey Jealousy").
After being fired from the band, guitarist and chief songwriter Doug Hopkins shot and killed himself in 1993 while songs from Miserable were blanketing MTV and radio.
The band tried to rebound with the song "Til I Hear it From You" from the Empire Records soundtrack and the so-so 1996 album Congratulations, I'm Sorry. Neither effort was as critically or commercially successful as Miserable and the band broke up in 1997 only to reunite for a tour, album and DVD release in 2002.
The band released the album Major Lodge Victory in Aug. 2006 and is currently on tour. Stream the new album and view upcoming tour dates here.
Selected discography:
Up & Crumbling, 1991
New Miserable Experience, 1992
Major Lodge Victory, 2006

James
You might remember James' great 1993 hit "Laid," but the band has been a part of the UK pop scene since the late 1980s.
The fey sounding, British jangle pop storytellers are readying for a reunion tour and, as the band's official Web site points out, they're still "fresh as a daisy."
Former James front man Tim Booth announced on his official Web page that the band is also recording new tracks.
The reunited version of the band, once dubbed "the new Smiths," hasn't performed together for more than six years. Tickets for the UK spring tour go on sale this Friday.
Selected discography:
Stutter, 1986
Laid, 1993
Millionaires, 1999

The Lemonheads
The only real constant in the Lemonheads' history has been singer-songwriter Evan Dando, the sole original member featured on the band's new, critically well-received, self-titled comeback album.
Dando hired drummer Bill Stevenson and bassist Karl Alvarez, both of the LA punk band The Descendents, to record the album, which features a somewhat rawer sound than anything the band put out in its late 90s heyday.
The rhythm section of The Pieces has backed Dando on a few live dates and Dando is expected to continue touring in support of the new album under the Lemonheads name.
Selected discography:
It's a Shame About Ray, 1992
Come on Feel the Lemonheads, 1993
The Lemonheads, 2006 (Listen to some new tracks on the Lemonheads MySpace page.)

Pavement
News of a Pavement reunion is based on pure rumor and some vague comments by front man Stephen Malkmus and guitarist Spiral Stairs.
In 2005, Malkmus told Chart Attack that the band might reunite "in five years." Malkmus went on to say that there was "still hope" for a reunion and joked that it would be for a "Legends Of Indie Rock" tour.
Stairs, a.k.a. Scott Kannberg, told Pitchfork last September that there had been talk of an eventual reunion.
"I think it makes more sense to let more time go past, you know? It would probably work well for a 20 year anniversary or something like that," he said.
The indie rock band split in 1999 after releasing its final album, Terror Twilight. Matador Records has since re-released the classic Pavement albums Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Wowee Zowee and the band's 1992 debut Slanted and Enchanted.
Malkmus has since recorded three solo albums with the Jicks, and Stairs records with Preston School of Industry.
Selected discography:
Slanted & Enchanted, 1992
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, 1994 (Download "Gold Soundz".)
Brighten the Corners, 1997

Rage Against the Machine
On Monday, the LA Times broke the news that a reunited Rage will headline this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. This was confirmed by a post on the band's official Web site.
As of now, vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk are slated to perform at the festival on April 27.
The band rose to fame in the 90s with several albums worth of polemic leftist anthems set to a fierce blend of hip-hop, punk and metal. De la Rocha left the band in 2001 to record his yet unreleased solo album. His collaborative track with DJ Shadow, "March of Death" was released online in 2003 in protest of the Iraq war. The remaining members of Rage formed the Billboard chart-topping post-grunge band Audioslave with former Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell in 2001.
There's no word yet on whether Rage will tour or record after the initial reunion show.
Selected discography:
Rage Against the Machine, 1992
Evil Empire, 1996
The Battle of Los Angeles, 1999 (Listen to "Sleep Now in the Fire".)

Sebadoh
Singer-songwriter Lou Barlow's beloved 90s lo-fi band will kick off a spring tour Feb. 26 in San Diego. Click here for the complete itinerary.
Sebadoh's original lineup -- including Eric Gaffney, Jason Loewenstein and Barlow -- split in 1994, before the release of, arguably, the band's most successful albums Bakesale and Harmacy.
Barlow started the Folk Implosion around the time and Sebadoh released its final record, The Sebadoh, in 1999. Barlow has since recorded a few critically successful solo records and reunited with his earlier band Dinosaur Jr. for a 2005 tour.
Selected discography:
Sebadoh III, 1991
Bakesale, 1994
Harmacy, 1996 (Download a live version of "Too Pure")

Smashing Pumpkins
"IN STUDIO NOW! ALBUM OUT SOON!" reads the front page of the Pumpkin's official site. An awkward post on the band's MySpace page by front man Billy Corgan promises new tracks and a "tour of tears" for 2007.
Corgan even purchased full-page ads in the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times to announce the impending reunion.
Aside from drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, it's unknown who will be involved from the original lineup, which included guitarist James Iha and bassists D'Arcy Wretzky.
The Pumpkins achieved mainstream success with the 1993 album Siamese Dream, but the band hit a major turning point in July of 1996 when, touring in support of the double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin and Chamberlin overdosed on heroin in New York. Melvoin died and Chamberlin was arrested for drug possession.
Since then, the band's lineup has been in flux and the quality of its records has been spotty. Corgan formally disbanded the Pumpkins in 2000 and recorded a solo album and fronted the band Zwan.
The upcoming Pumpkins album will reportedly feature tracks produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who produced many of Queen's albums, and producer Terry Date, who has worked with Pantera and Soundgarden.
Selected discography:
Gish, 1991
Siamese Dream, 1993 (Listen to "Mayonaise".)
Pisces Iscariot , 1994

Who did I miss? Is Chumbawamba coming back?

Afternoon Dose: Spidey 4 villain?; Rage reunion; Oscars; Heroes, Trek news

the lizard

I'm still sick, but here are some of today's interesting headlines ...

- Will The Lizard be Peter Parker's nemesis in Spider-Man 4? Actor Dylan Baker, who plays The Lizard's alter ego Dr. Conners in Spidey 2 and 3, thinks so.

- Will there really be a Rage Against the Machine reunion, featuring Zack de la Rocha, at this year's Coachella fest? De la Rocha's official site seems to confirm it.

- Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men and, finally, Mark Wahlberg have been nominated for Oscars. Babel, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen are up for Best Picture. View the entire list of nominees here. More on this later.

- Little Man and Basic Instinct 2 are up for Razzies. What, no hate for Just My Luck?

- B-movie prince Eric Roberts is joining the cast of Heroes. Also, have you visited PrimaTech Paper's Web site? Use the code MT36 to log in.

- Star Trek's Brent Spiner (Data) says fans are to blame for the last Trek film's failure.

- And finally, STARZ will air the Guided By Voices documentary The Electrifying Conclusion on Jan. 29. This one is on the house.

TV: Battlestar Galactica (3.12) - 'Rapture'

bsg rapture

(Please note: I'm sicker than a dog as I write this, but i have a TV Fodder deadline to meet. It's hard to focus, what with my head turning to mush and all. Please forgive the lack of insight or any Nyquil-induced dips into excessive hyperbole. My head, and my brain, are hurtin' bad ... Really.)

(Air date: 1/21/06)
Rejoice. This wasn't a filler ep, nor was it a gimmick ep like I feared it would be. After the slow grind that was "The Eye of Jupiter" and the Internet chatter about executive producer Ron Moore wanting to "shock" fans and kill off a major character, I was glad to see that "Rapture" stayed tense, smart and surprising almost from the outset. Even the supernova effects were impressive.

I was in-and-out for the first few minutes, but my eyes were locked on the blue glow after Helo went against the fleet's best interests and smoked Sharon. This, I thought, is what the series is all about. Galactica isn't just a simple political allegory set in space as many glossy magazines might have you believe -- it's about people and what they do to survive. This idea was played out perfectly in this ep and it was underscored in almost every plot thread.

Was Adama ready to nuke the planet to keep the Cylons from finding Earth? His actions prior to this would make me say no, but the opening scenes were still tense. This is a series where people are changed by circumstance and are sometimes governed by impulse. Even Adama must make sacrifices to survive. I was glad to see the nuke standoff ended soon, since there were many more plot points left hanging from the last ep, including D'Anna and Baltar's vision quest, Sharon's plan to find Hera and the fate of Starbuck.

How bad was Starbuck's crash? Bad enough to make me think "Man, Katee Sackhoff looks like crap." We catch up with the impulsive Kara Thrace sitting inside the smoky crash site with puffy bruises and sliced hands. It's fascinating how this series continues to cut, bruise and bleed its leading characters on screen. War is hell, and top billing won't save anyone on Galactica. The survival theme was played out here with Dee and Starbuck reluctantly working together to pilot the beaten ship back into orbit. I'm not a fan of the darker Dianne and Sam dynamic now hovering over Apollo and Starbuck, but I like the way it was played out here. Seeing Starbuck and Dee help each other and seeing Lee and Anders come to a shaky truce in the name of survival felt realistic -- miles away from the soap operatics that were on display in "Jupiter."

The question of "Will Sharon (Athena) betray the fleet?" weighed heavily in the first half of this ep. Grace Park really sold the emotion and ambiguity here, leaving space for the thought that, maybe, she'll side with the Cylons and deliver the goods on Galactica. Like Roslin warned, we still don't know if she can be trusted. But it seems Sharon only wanted to ensure her family's survival and -- in an applause worthy twist -- Caprica Six, who's now stuck in Galactica's brig, helped her do that.

Baltar -- who's looking more and more like Ron Moore in every ep -- is also, I assume, now stuck in the brig. It was great fun watching him subtly manipulate D'Anna to ensure his own survival and answer his burning existential questions. Is he a Cylon? i hope not. I'm not sure about most fans, but I'm rooting for the little weasel to come out on top somewhow. Maybe it's just James Callis' bizarre line readings and facial expressions, but I always look forward to the Baltar scenes, especially when he's on edge, as he was in this entire ep. Capping his mini-arc off with the death of D'Anna was a good kick in the gut.

I really wasn't sucked in by all the mythology people were babbling about. It was hard to make sense of it all, especially with a medicine head, but it seems the characters didn't know what to make of the Temple of Five or the Eye of Jupiter either. What did it all mean? That and some other very intriguing questions remain:
- What will come of the Chief's spiritual awakening?
- Why did Tigh put the wounded "civie" in the brig?
- Who is the Cylon that D'Anna apologized to? Is it Starbuck -- she who scribbles prophetic circles?

I can't wait to see what' will be done with Six and Baltar. It's about time they got back on Galactica and off that eerie base ship. And is it just me, or is everyone else glad that we won't have to endure that awkward crib on the base ship visual anymore?

SciFi should have the ep up for streaming, not to mention Ron Moore's podcast commentary, soon. Next week: Will Lee choose Starbuck?

Memorable quote
Tyroll: (To Baltar right before he knocks him out) "Welcome home, Mr. President."

TV: Stream Veronica Mars episodes online

vm cast

Following in the footsteps of ABC and NBC, The CW is now offering full episode streams of some of its most popular shows, including Veronica Mars. Go here to stream the last four season three episodes aired before the winter break.

If you haven't watched any season three eps yet, these four should prepare you for the series' return on Tuesday. Visit NeptuneSite for episode recaps and check back here for reviews of upcoming episodes.

For now, check out some video goodness from the VM panel at ComicCon 2006 below.

Morning Dose: Spidey 4?; Goblin pics; Departed sequels; Fillion and Minear on Drive

franco goblin

- Official sources are already talking about Spider-Man 4.

- Take a look at more pics of James Franco's new Navy Seal style Goblin costume from the upcoming Spider-Man 3. Is that a hoverboard up there?

- Mark Wahlberg says Martin Scorsese and crew are talking about making sequels (or prequels) to The Departed. Wahlberg says most of the cast might return if the films are a go.
"They're talking to Robert De Niro and a couple of other people. ... Anybody who is anybody wants to work with Marty," Wahlberg told MTV. Wahlberg starred in the 2006 film with Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio.

- The Whedonverse is alive and kicking on TV. Fox just picked up former Firefly co-producer Tim Minear's new drama Drive, which stars Firefly's Nathan Fillion and Angel's Amy Acker. Click here for a network description of the series. The two-hour series premiere airs Sunday, April 15 on Fox. Fillion and Minear discuss the series at TV Squad.

Friday Video: Sloan - 'The Good in Everyone'

I feel like celebrating, so here's Sloan's "The Good in Everyone" from way back in 1996. Terrible video quality, but great song. Happy Friday.

Afternoon Dose: Smallville clips; Trek X1 news; Superman sequel?; Halloween script leaks

smallville

- Smallville fans can catch a 12-minute preview of tonight’s highly anticipated episode, “Justice,” here. The clips feature Clark and Green Arrow meeting up with Impulse (or Gen-Y Flash).

- SyFy Portal reports that the upcoming Star Trek XI film will be all about character. That’s a good sign, no?

- One of the Superman Returns writer says that the film’s sequel will feature more villains from the DC canon and more action.

-Will Ewan McGregor play Kurt Cobain in an upcoming biopic?

- Bad fan reaction to the script for his Halloween remake is really pissing Rob Zombie off. Read AintItCoolNews.com’s merciless review of the script here.

TV: New Heroes sneak peak videos

heroes cast
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

NBC's Heroes returns with new episodes on Jan. 22, but NBC.com has posted three sneak peek videos of upcoming eps on the official Heroes page. I posted one below that features Hiro and Nathan.

The Jan. 22 ep is called "Godsend" and it guest-stars former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston. Make sure to check here for a review after the ep airs.

Music: Meet Of Montreal

of montreal
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

It's still hard for me to accept that most of the world has never heard of Of Montreal, one of the most progressive sounding, mind blowing bands that'll ever make you shake that ass.

Of Montreal is one of those prolific indie pop bands that's constantly evolving and racking up the critical praise, but, I guess, they still don't sell that many records.

The Athens-by-way-of-Brooklyn band released on of its best albums, Statanic Panic in the Attic on Polyvinyl in 2004 and followed up that success with The Sunlandic Twins in 2005. Now, Polyvinyl has released Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, arguably the band's most accesible disc to date.

The new album is classic Of Montreal -- containing infectous guitar and keyboard-driven melodies, complex arrangements, off-kilter dance beats and singer-songwriter Kevin Barnes' singular high-pitched vocals -- but the band sounds more urgent and in control of its craft.

Polyvinyl is also offering the band's discography in one special set. Of Montreal hits San Antonio on Jan. 21 and will continue its tour througout the year. Consume the media below for now.

MP3:
Of Montreal - 'Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse' from Hissing Fauna

Of MOntreal - 'Disconnect the Dots From Satanic Panic in the Attic

Of Montreal - 'So Begins Our Alabee' from The Sunlandic Twins

Video:

TV: More on David Hewlett's Starcrossed

atlantis_hewlett
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

Rodney McKay fans are in luck. David Hewlett, the actor who plays McKay on the Sci Fi Channel's Stargate:Atlantis, will write an upcoming half-hour comedy for the cable network.

The series is called Starcrossed and, according to Sci Fi, it will go behind the scenes of a long-running space opera. Sci Fi's press release for the series makes comparisons to The Larry Sanders Show and Galaxy Quest.

This series is sure to be fun if Hewlett's wit and top par geekiness are behind it. No word yet on whether Hewlett will star in the series, but I'm guessing he'll at last pop up onscreen a few times if he's not part of the regular cast.

Read Hewlett's blog post about the Sci Fi deal here and take a look at a clip from the film he wrote, directed and stars in below. It's called A Dog's Breakfast and it also stars Atlantis cast members Paul McGillion (Dr. Beckett) and Rachel Luttrell (Teyla). It seems Starcrossed and Dog's share some themes.

Starcrossed is in development and is expected to air sometime this year. Stargate Atlantis returns with new episodes later this year.

Film: Netflix to offer streaming service

chinatown
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

Netflix, arguably the best place to rent DVDs online, will start streaming films and TV shows online starting Tuesday. They're calling this feature/service "Watch Now," reports the Associated Press.

The good:
-Netflix says it takes about a minute to install the streaming software.
-Netflix will offer most if its vast catalog for streaming. Initially, the service will stream a load of B movies and some classic fare like Chinatown and Amadeus. The studios contributing to the new service include Paramount, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Lion’s Gate and New Line.
-It's not too expensive. $17.99 monthly package subscribers will receive 18 hours of Internet viewing time. Your streaming allotment depends on your existing Netflix package.

The not so good:
-Only about 6 million subscribers will be able to access "Watch Now" initially until Netflix beefs up its servers, etc. They expect to introduce the service to about 250,000 subscribers each week through June.
-You'll only be able to stream the films on a PC or a laptop with a high-speed connection and Windows. The service is not iPod or portable device friendly.

So, will you "Watch Now?"

Morning Dose: Lost end date; Sci-Fi shows; Whedon and The Office; Critics Awards

lost
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

Lost producers determine end date

It seems the creators of Lost don't want the series to wear out its welcome.
Producers told the Associated Press that they're in talks with ABC to set an end date for the series. With that end date in mind, the writers will be able to determine exactly how to cap the story.
"Once we figure out when that will be, a lot of the questions will go away," said Carlton Cuse, an executive producer for the series.
Apparently the end date will not be any time soon, but it's good to know that the people working on Lost would rather try to end on a high-note than drag things on way past the series' prime.
Lost returns to ABC with new episodes in Feb with an uninterrupted run through May. Also, the producers noted that the story will go "back to the beach," meaning we'll spend more time with the entire cast in the new episodes, not just Jack, Kate and Sawyer.


NewSci Fi shows announced

Do we really need a new Flash Gordon TV show? The Sci Fi Channel thinks so.
The network also announced a slate of new shows including The Diamond Age, a miniseries based on Neal Stephenson’s best-selling novel and produced by George Clooney.
Also coming to Sci Fi is a comedy written by Stargate Atlantis star David Hewlitt. The series, called Starcrossed, will be about the behind-the-scenes of a long-running sci fi soap opera. I'll definitely give this one a look.


Whedon, Abrams to direct Office eps

Joss Whedon and Lost creator JJ Abrams are slated to direct episodes of The Office. The eps are slated to run in late February.


Steven Seagal: My movies suck

Apparently, Steven Seagal agrees with most of the world and thinks the movies he makes are crap. He now wants to focus on his crap music instead.


Whitaker, Departed top Critics Choice Awards, Globe nods

Forest Whitaker, Helen Miren, Eddie Murphy and The Departed took top honors at the Critics Choice Awards last night. Borat was named Best Comedy and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth won Best Documentary.
Most of these performers and films were also nominated for Golden Globe Awards.

Now get to work and remember to read about the Martin Luther King Day events happening in your community.